2S3 Akatsiya

2S3 (SO-152)
2S3 Akatsiya
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1971–present
Used by	see Operators
Wars	Soviet War in Afghanistan Iran-Iraq War Gulf War Civil War in Tajikistan First Chechen War Second Chechen War South Ossetia War Libyan Civil War Syrian civil war War in Donbass
Production history
Designer	Petrov Design Bureau
Designed	1967
Manufacturer	Uraltransmash
Produced	1967–1993 (2S3, 2S3M and 2S3M1)
Variants	see Variants
Specifications
Weight	Maximum: 28 metric tons
Length	Total: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) Hull: 7.765 m (25 ft 5.7 in)
Width	3.25 m (10 ft)
Height	3.05 m (10 ft) 2.615 m (8 ft 7.0 in) without a machine gun
Crew	4
Breech	semi-automatic vertical wedge
Elevation	−4° to +60°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	Sustained: 1  rpm max: 4 rpm
Maximum firing range	Conventional: 18.5 km (11.5 mi) RAP: 24 km (15 mi)
Armor	15 mm (hull) 30 mm (turret and hull front)
Main armament	152.4 mm D-22 howitzer L/27 (46 rounds, maximum)
Secondary armament	7.62 mm remotely controlled PKT tank machine gun (1,500 rounds)
Engine	V-59 (12-cylinder 4-stroke V-shaped water-cooled diesel) 520 hp (382.7 kW) at 2,000 rpm
Power/weight	18.9 hp/t (13.92 kW/t)
Transmission	mechanical double-flow, planetary gear-gearbox unit
Suspension	independent torsion bars with hydraulic shock absorbers of 1st and 6th road wheels
Ground clearance	0.45 m (1 ft 6 in)
Fuel capacity	830 liters
Operational range	500 km (310 mi)
Speed	On-road: 63 km/h (39 mph) Off-road: 45 km/h (28 mph)

SO-152 (СО-152) is a Soviet 152.4 mm self-propelled artillery developed in 1968. It was a response to the American 155 mm M109. The development started in 1967 according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from July 4, 1967. In 1968 the SO-152 was completed and in 1971 entered service. Its GRAU designation is 2S3 (2С3). The fighting vehicle also received the additional designation Akatsiya (Акация), which is Russian for acacia.

Designated M1973 by the U.S. Army, the Akatsiya is armed with a 152.4 mm howitzer based on the Soviet 152.4 mm D-20 howitzer and is sometimes confused with the M109 self-propelled artillery. The artillery system was developed at the design bureau No. 9 of Sverdlovsk. The factory designation of the howitzer is D-22 and the GRAU designation, 2A33. The chassis was developed by Uraltransmash.

The driver's and engine-transmission compartments are located in the front part of a hull, the fighting compartment with rotatory turret in middle and rear parts of the hull. The armor is welded rolled steel. The SPG is equipped with an R-123 radio set, an R-124 intercom, an automatic CBRN defense system with filtration unit and fire-fighting equipment. The V-59 12-cylinder four-stroke water-cooled diesel engine connects to a mechanical two-gear transmission. The gear box is combined into one block with a planetary steering gear. The 2S3 has self-entrenching equipment which allows it to prepare a trench within 20–40 min.

The crew consists of 4–6 men: a driver, a gunner, a loader, a commander, and two ammunition bearers, which are positioned to the rear of the vehicle feeding rounds through two hatches in the hull rear when in masked firing position.